Daffodils
by Demeter Lythersin
Summary: *HEY! I'M BACK FROM THE DEAD!* In lieu of a summary, how's a new chapter extract? ..."You are," she quipped a little too quickly for comfort. "But I don't trust you as far as I could kick you not to molest the teachers here, so you're along for the ride."
1. The Beginning of the End

Daffodils

Daffodils

Three years after the final defeat of Zaha Torte, peace has returned to Spooner. Sorcerers everywhere have re-signed the peace treaty between themselves and the commoners, and the Sorcerer Hunters have had little to do but enjoy the tranquil days provided at the pleasure of the gods.

But they have not wasted this time…well, for the most part. The leader of the small group, Carrot Glaces, has returned to his home with Tira and Chocolate Misu, where Tira has opened a small healing practice. Gateau Mocha, for all he despised Carrot, found that he missed the company of his old friends, and moved himself and his sister as close as he could to his allies without appearing conspicuous or weak. This leaves Marron, the strikingly beautiful magic user, and younger brother of Carrot. Not incredibly surprisingly to his father Onion, Marron grasped the opportunity to pull a disappearing act in the relative calm - here one day, gone for the next three months.

They let him go, sure in their deepest hearts he would come back to them soon. 'Wanderer's spirit,' Onion had declared it, thinking sadly of the spark of mischief in Apricot's eyes - eyes that were so very similar to her son's.

True to his unspoken word, Marron _did _come back, but something was subtly different about him, something that would inextricably bind them to fate…

Marron's robes brushed against the doorframe as he entered the house of his childhood, and the slight rustling noise alerted the slender female figure hunched in deep concentration over some article on the table in the kitchen. Tira's head jerked up in surprise, and, finding the source of the disturbance, her face broke into a comically large smile under her glasses. She let the herbs she'd been painstakingly shredding fall where they landed, ran the short distance between the table and the doorway, and hugged the tall figure without hesitation.

"You're back! We _knew _you'd come back! Where have you been?"

After a moment of stiffened confusion resulting from the rambunctious display of affection, Marron softened, patted her shoulder and smiled gently.

"Hello to you too, Tira." 

She released him and looked happily into the golden eyes.

"Well? Where'd you go, what'd you do, and what did you bring me back?" Tira giggled childishly.

"Nowhere important, nothing special and…um…" he reached behind her ear as one might trying to amuse a child, and pulled out a single daffodil. "Here."

"Smart ass." 

Marron arched one graceful, questioning eyebrow, and smiled inwardly as Tira blushed, realising who she was talking to.

"I should probably go and -" Marron jerked his thumb toward the opposite doorway, having sensed the presence of his brother and father.

"I'd say so. They've missed you, you know?" Tira moved to follow him out the door, trailing him by instinct and long knowledge rather than sight as she fingered the soft petals of the daffodil. Something was bugging her about it. Something wasn't right. Then it occurred to her. 

"Hey, Marron? Don't you have to use wards-"

"_MARRON!_" Carrot's cry of happiness interrupted Tira and he pulled his little brother into a fierce hug.

"Hey, Niisan." 

Carrot loosened his grip, and clutched Marron by the shoulders, staring critically into the serious face.

"There's something…different about you." He stared harder, and shrugged his shoulders in resignation. "Nah. I'm seein' things."

"Mage," a deep voice growled from a chair. Marron's face blushed a deep pink.

"H-hai, father. I was hoping to keep it as a surprise."

Onion ran his hands through his hair and snorted in amusement.

"Imagine that. Not only do you haunt me by looking so much like your mother, now you're going to stay that way for good." He looked up at his youngest son, pain flashing momentarily in his eyes before he hid it and nodded his head in acknowledgment of Marron's new status. "Next thing you know, you'll probably end up a -" Onion's eyes fell on the insignia of a bracelet his son hadn't had when he left, and deteriorated into muttering his thoughts aloud. "Sweet gods…How did you get…couldn't be…but it is…Marron, did you find yourself a…new job?"

Marron hung his head in a sudden fit of shyness and mumbled incoherently.

"_Marron. _Get out from behind the hair and answer me. Are you a-"

[They can't know, father. You're aware of that,] came the thought into Onion's mind, swift and strong and pure. [I'm just an apprentice…are you angry with me?]

[No, Marron. Congratulations. Sumimasen.]

"Is Marron a…" Carrot tried emphatically to prompt his father.

"Nothing. Never mind, I'm seeing things and it's hereditary, Carrot. See? You're starting to take after me already," Onion grunted. The big man rose too quickly from his seat and walked stiffly inside.

Carrot shuddered visibly and made Tira laugh.

"So, you're one of those stuck-up all-mighty Mages now? Looks like a pretty good excuse for a party, if you ask me." Carrot raised one eyebrow, looking for support from his companions.

"Great idea! I'll go tell Gateau," Tira declared, and ran through the house, gathering her cloak on the way and heading in the direction of the blonde strongman's dwelling. Carrot snorted in disgust.

"That's not healthy, Carrot," Marron chided softly.

"Neither is vanishing off the face of the planet for a season, coming home and freaking out your father," Carrot spat back, and immediately wished he hadn't when Marron's head went down again as he turned away. He sighed. "Sorry. But does this mean free sake now?"

That night, the old Sorcerer Hunters celebrated Marron's return with what became a small feast, and more than generous amounts of alcohol. Marron, of course, drank nothing of the bitter stuff, and despite his companions' efforts to spike his drinks, remained the only completely sensible one among them. _As usual_, he sighed.

And, as usual, having drunk enough to kill an ox, Gateau became more and more blatant in his attempts to get Marron's attention.

"Can you still heal?" Gateau asked the beautiful young Mage, squatting in front of him and looking as serious as intoxication would allow. _Kami he's beautiful, _he thought to himself. _Not handsome, but almost the **definition** of beauty. Why won't he look at me?_

"Of course. If anything, I'm stronger at it now," Marron replied cautiously, regretting it the instant he saw Gateau's delighted expression.

"Good. 'Cause I've had this really sore…" Gateau's voice was muffled by the shirt he finally had an excuse to remove. Carrot looked furious, Tira and Chocolate rolled their eyes at the display, Onion raised an eyebrow, and Marron slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"Well, I never knew you swung _that_ way, Marron," an unfamiliar voice interjected.

"Huh…?" six sets of eyes swivelled around to focus on a figure which had draped itself casually in a chair, but only two sets of eyes recognised it for sure.

"M-Milphey?" Carrot questioned uncertainly.

"No, baka. I don't even look remotely like him. Why does everyone say that?" the Milphey lookalike stood up and pirouetted, showing itself to be female.

"You couldn't be anyone but Milphey's brat - you're almost as much of an exhibitionist as _him_," Onion gestured to Gateau, who stood half-naked and stunned. "How have you been, Minda?"

Minda broke into a beautiful smile and surprised the small assembly by hugging the big man as though she'd known him her whole life. When he laughed in delight, she broke free and blinked herself to stand in front of the open-mouthed Carrot, where she gripped his chin and forced him to study her face, almost nose-to-nose. A familiar and rather disconcerting pose.

"I don't _really _look like papa, do I?" a voice of sugared innocence asked as she trailed one manicured fingernail down his throat.

Carrot didn't need much persuading, and he looked, hard. At a first glance, Minda was the living spit of her unlikely father, but on closer inspection, she was incredibly pretty and far more feminine with sharply defined features, longer strawberry-coloured hair without the wave of her father's and the same glowing golden eyes that sparkled with potential mischief in the moonlight. Carrot absorbed this with a practiced eye, while the restraining hand on his chin began to wander, joining the other one to continue tracing the contours of his neck. Even without the electrifying touch, this was almost too much for him to handle. His voice rose two octaves and he was left besotted.

"Nah, you're much prettier," he squeaked.

"Good." Shortly, sharply, and with undeniable energy. She dismissed Carrot without a second glance and turned back to Marron. "Sorry to break up the party, but we've gotta go. Duty calls and all."

Marron tried in vain to stifle a sigh, which didn't manage to escape his father's sharp hearing, let alone the honed senses of Minda, who cocked her head curiously.

"Listen, Minda," Onion cut in. "Is it really important? He's only just come back to us. Tell them he's drunk and useless if you have to. For me?" he looked at the young face pleadingly, and found purchase when she sighed audibly.

"I suppose not. It's just watch, and there's a meeting going on that should keep the others there until way after our shift. You know how they go on," Minda giggled guiltily and shrugged her thin shoulders. "Wait a minute." 

She closed her eyes and relayed the information to her father.

"He says its okay, I was right, and to blow Carrot a kiss." Carrot blanched beyond pale and groaned. "But he also said you'll have to be there early tomorrow. Is that fair enough, Marron?"

Marron nodded and she folded her arms in a gesture of finality.

"Alright then, I'd better go." Minda blew a kiss to the group, turned around and vanished the way she'd come in a cloud of pink-tinted smoke.

Chocolate stroked her chin in deep thought.

"Hang on a second. If Onion knew about 'the way they go on' and they knew each other, Miphey's in the picture and Marron works with them…" she glanced at the insignia on the bracelet Marron wore. Even though it was partially obscured by his sleeve, the symbol became suddenly familiar and she gaped, openmouthed. "_You're a Haz Knight?!_"

His secret exposed, Marron decided it was time he told them everything. _Well, as much as they need to know,_ he thought wryly. "…Apprentice. So is Minda. That's where I've been. I took my rites of ascension, and they sought me out." 

He turned his head away and the dark veil of silky black hair instantly hid his expression, but even that barrier could not hide the smile that graced his face.

"Are you sure you should come?" Marron asked his friends for the third time in as many minutes, disturbed by the early morning and their insistence.

"Marron, come on, we hardly ever go up there anyway, and it'd be good to see Big Mama and Dota too, even if she does have wings and…" Carrot trailed off, lost in daydreams of strange, beautiful women. Marron sighed.

"You'll get me into trouble."

"Please? We never do _anything_ fun any more," Tira whined, minus the huge glasses for a change.

Marron sighed louder in defeat. "You realise there will be nothing for you to do up there?"

Carrot nodded emphatically. "'f course. Bring on the boredom!" he declared, placing a hand on Marron's shoulder. Marron rolled his eyes as he realised how they expected to get to the Stellar Church and its grounds. He shrugged his shoulders, waved a farewell to his father and teleported, his friends holding on in uncertain discomfort.

The Stellar Church looked like a tornado, wildfire and tsunami had hit it all at once. The great pillars were scorched and crumbled, and the impeccably manicured gardens were charred to the point of nonexistence, the gnarled, blackened skeletons giving the impression of a centuries-old ruin as opposed to one of a few hours. Marron opened his eyes and drew in a sharp breath as he surveyed the damage.

"Must've been one hell of a party here last night," Gateau mumbled in awe, scratching his head.

Marron shivered, and shook his head. "No. This place was hit by powerful magic - I can still feel it. None of it was good," he added ominously, and almost to himself.

"H-hello?" Chocolate called out nervously.

One of the piles they'd taken as wreckage moved, minutely and obviously with great effort, as though disturbed by the wind.

"Gods, are they…?" Carrot scuffed hesitantly over to one of the crumpled heaps, pulled back the cloth covering its face and hissed in disgust. There was no mistaking the insignia on the headband. The Haz Knights were dead. He stumbled back, tripping over Gateau, who for once caught him, set Carrot back on his feet and didn't call him an idiot.

__

No, Marron thought frantically, _this can't happen. They **can't **be dead! _He loosed his senses desperately, searching for signs of life. Just as he was about to give up, a single, weak thought glimmered on the very edge of his mind.

[Marron…help…]

He opened his eyes unseeingly and ran blindly towards the source. Someone was still alive, and it gave him hope. He slowed to a halt as he passed a multitude of figures - doubtless the caretakers and others who frequented the place - and settled on the huddled figure he'd thought had moved before. Marron pulled back the hood to reveal the anonymous pile's face.

"Minda! What happened here?"

She looked up at him through pain-bleared eyes, heedless of the blood streaming from a cut high on her temple that marred her otherwise untouched face.

"You…came." She peered into the worried face, and adopted a weak and senseless smile as her chin dropped onto her chest. "They won't wake up, Marron. Make them wake up."

Marron brushed the loose wisps of fairy-floss coloured hair out of Minda's eyes and gripped her chin, holding it up again. "I can't do anything until you tell me what happened."

With great effort, she raised one shaking hand and let it fall on the wrist supporting her chin. Then she showed him. Marron's senses were bombarded with painful screams, burning smells and a thousand different images of suffering before Minda collected herself enough to replay the scene that had caused the devastation. Slowly, a surrealistic vision of the hours of Marron's absence was played to him in an array of flashes. The Knights, leaving their meeting, bidding farewell to Mama…a crack of lightning…Sorcerers, ten of them, summoning some great force…a terrible, demonic roar of laughter as the Knights fell and were consumed by it…each and every face drawing their dying breath…Cinnamon…Chiffon…Karuua…Milphey, wounded but not dead, calling out to Minda for help…a flash of steel as a sword pierced his back, silencing him forever.

Mama stood on the threshold of the Church, looking terrified for a change as her efforts to subdue the bestial apparition had no effect. One Sorcerer broke off from the pack, opened a locket and placed a powerful magic seal on her, knocking her unconscious. He slung the woman's deadweight over one shoulder and rejoined the group as they turned to leave. Fear…such terror…

Then a different type of pain, as Marron watched the lead Sorcerer, the one who had slain Milphey, turned to face Minda. 'My, pretty little thing, aren't you?' he hissed lustily as he sized her up. 'You're lucky, I could never hurt such a lovely face.' The dark force that had hovered above the slain Knights turned on her, whipping her around, and shooting itself at her back. He heard her scream, felt her empathised terror, and almost blacked out in sympathy as he felt her do so in her vision.

Marron broke the girl's hold on his arm and stroked one of her cheeks, willing her to have strength. Murmuring, he quietly and coldly relayed what Minda had shown him to his companions, who stood in dumbstruck silence.

Gateau scuffed one boot on the damaged marble tiling.

"So, what do we do now?"

Marron's brow furrowed in concentration. "First things first." He reached one hand behind Minda, who struggled to stifle a whimper.

"Marron, don't try to lift –" Carrot started, and received an uncharacteristically poisonous glare for his troubles. Marron pulled his hand out, and showed his brother the dark blood that dripped from his pale fingers.

"I _said _first things first. Tira, help me roll her over, please." Tira nodded wordlessly and cradled Minda's head in her lap as Marron's hands began to glow, healing the terrible wounds the dark magic had inflicted on her.

"It's…it's not possible," Marron whispered.


	2. Probable Improbabilities

"What's wrong

"What's wrong?" Carrot pushed his way through the others for a clearer view. Marron turned his head, avoiding Carrot's question and swallowing hard.

"Nothing. It must have been lack of concentration on my part." He swiped the hair out of his face, concentrating fiercely, and tried again.

The harm inflicted by the dark magic refused to heal, and the chilly breeze sweeping over the ruined church could not steal away the curse that slipped from Marron's lips.

Gateau knelt down beside the young man and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder in comfort. "We all have bad days, you know."

Marron shrugged off the embrace with a ferocity pending on violence, stood up too quickly and nearly fell down again, weakened by the amount of energy he'd used trying to heal Minda. _Why isn't it working?! I put so much energy behind that spell! _Gateau caught him on his way down again, and Marron slapped away the supporting arms, righted himself, and stalked off a distance.

__

This isn't Marron. He's never like this, Carrot thought wistfully. He called out to his brother's back, hoping to elicit some response of normalcy.

"Marron? What's the matter?"

Even from that distance, there was no mistaking the set of the young Mage's shoulders. This was anger and frustration on a 'hurt my brother and I'll send you to Enma early' scale. Marron turned around, eyes blazing, face a mask of anger and despair.

"What do you _think _is wrong?! They're _dead_, Carrot. All dead. I should have been here to help, and now I can't even _heal_ her," he gestured wildly to where Minda lay, prostrated in Tira's arms.

Gears turned in Carrot's head. "Ah, now I got it! Marron's got a crush on Minda!"

Chocolate thumped him over the head, hard, and he yelped satisfactorily. "It's neither the time nor the place, Darling."

Tira passed the unconscious girl to her sister, dusted herself off, and walked cautiously over to where Marron stood with his hands entwined in his hair; an uncharacteristically shaking pile of nerves. She took one of his hands and held it firmly before he could shrug her off.

"Marron, I have a theory. Maybe the reason you can't heal her is because the harm was inflicted by more powerful magic than you possess. It doesn't matter that much anyway; she'll heal in time. We can take her home and look after her. It's not fair to blame yourself for this mess either. If you'd been here, you'd just've ended up another dead body, and we'd have nobody to help us get Big Mama back."

He sighed, and inspected his shoes, suddenly embarrassed about his outburst. "I hadn't even _thought_ about Big Mama. But you have valid points. I just feel completely…useless."

"That's understandable. But we need you, Marron. Come on, let's get away from this place, ne?" she tugged gently at his hand, and he let himself be guided reluctantly back to the others.

Leaving the still-unconscious Minda in the care of Tira and Onion; Gateau, Carrot, Chocolate and Marron left the next morning to begin their search for Mama and the dark power which plagued Minda's body.

Marron had led off, fuelled by a combination of certainty, instinct and anger. Carrot jogged ahead a few paces to catch up.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"I don't know. I'll tell you when we get there."

Carrot shrugged and dropped back to walk beside Chocolate, then tensed and called out again.

"Hey! What the hell sort of answer is that?!"

Marron slowed to a halt and turned to face his friends. "Give me a minute, I'll ask around." And with that, he headed off the track and into the forest.

"That's better," Carrot declared, glad to be in charge again. Then he noticed where Marron had gone. "_Hey! _Who exactly are you going to ask? Squirrels? Birds?"

"Yes," the reply drifted back, matter-of-factly.

"Great. Just great. My only brother is going to ask directions from a squirrel," Carrot grumbled, perching himself on a nearby rock to wait as his companions followed suit.

"Why not? We relied on _your_ pathetic sense of direction for years," Gateau snorted over his folded arms. Chocolate couldn't help but laugh, and that made Carrot angry. He scooped up a pebble and drew back his arm to hurl it at Gateau's face, but at that moment Marron returned, showing neither disappointment nor satisfaction.

"Well?" asked Gateau.

Marron took a seat on Carrot's rock.

"A lark told me there's been talk of Sorcerers using powerful magic to invoke the spirits of their dead comrades, lesser gods and the like. I suspect that's what the group that attacked the Stellar Church were doing to overcome the Knights and Big Mama, and the lark agreed. He said there was a group much like the one I described practicing in an old castle, deep in the mountains. Nothing living ever goes there, they fear the place. I scanned the area as best I could, and there's a blank area, like a shield, that I can't penetrate. I think that's where our Sorcerers have Big Mama." He took a deep breath and ventured a glance at his comrades.

"So, we're going to trust a bird?" Carrot asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Do we have a choice?" mumbled Chocolate.

"It's the best lead we have," Marron murmured absently. "Let's find somewhere to camp and think about it in the morning."

Huddled around the campfire for warmth that night, talk drifted naturally to the months Marron had spent away from his family and friends.

"What was the 'trial' or whatever you had to do to become a Mage?" Gateau directed meaningfully at Marron, who stiffened in response.

"…I…I'm not supposed to talk about it."

"Aw, come on, we're your friends!" the blond warrior protested.

"I'd tell you if I could, but I can't," Marron studied the hands in his lap to hide his change in pallor, thankful for the firelight.

"Doesn't matter, we'll just ask Minda later. When we tell her about your disturbing obsession," Carrot grinned, glad in his newfound certainty that his little brother wasn't a butt-pirate.

Marron blushed even more and found an escape route.

"There's no point asking her, she wouldn't know." Carrot cocked his head curiously.

"But I thought she was a Mage as well."

Marron stared into the fire and adopted a lilting, musing tone - a sure sign he was in a rare expansive mood.

"She is, but she's …different. Instead of having to ascend like I did, she was born that way. It's highly unusual. Both her parents were Mages, I guess you figured that out about Milphey. She never talks much about her mother. I don't know who or where she is, and I don't even know her name. I think she may be dead." Marron paused, aware he was divulging personal information without permission.

"If she was born that way…I'm scared to ask: how old is she?" Carrot flinched, preparing for the certainty she'd be older than his great grandmother…

"Same age as me. She's only nineteen. That's the age she chose to stay physically, but it's how old she really is at the moment, too."

"Phew."

Marron lifted his gaze from the dancing flames, grinning wickedly. "And you'll tell her that when you're declaring _whose _'disturbing obsession'?"

Carrot blushed fiercely and swore under his breath. "Shut-up. Now, what're we going to do about the Sorcerers?"

Gateau studied his gloved fists. "I could probably take most of them if Marron can get that shield or whatever out of the way."

"Try that and you'll leave a rather ugly corpse. There's a shortage of perfect backsides in this dimension and it'd be a shame to spoil yours," a familiar voice cut in.

"What the…?" Gateau spun around and was faced with Milphey.

"But you're dead!" Carrot protested. Milphey blew him a kiss and took a seat next to him, scooting closer as Carrot bolted the other way.

"Well technically, I still am. I just pulled some strings to stop you walking straight into your graves. I've got two weeks to help you, then I'm gone, alright?"

The four nodded, stunned mute.

"Now, let's start by clearing some things up. If you go as you are, you'll all die. I know exactly what's going on there, and none of it is good. Those fools are busy invoking powerful spirits, and they've managed to resurrect someone you're not going to be happy about."

"Who's that?" Marron asked, feeling a familiar sense of foreboding creep over him.

"Zaha. They've resurrected Zaha Torte."

"They've resurrected _who?!_" Gateau blurted.

Milphey's effeminate and usually pretty face twisted itself into an unpleasant mask of sarcasm. He gripped the warrior's chin bruisingly and snarled through his teeth.

"One more time for Blondie. The…sorcerers…you…remember…sorcerers?"

"Nnghf," Gateau grunted through his locked jaw, trying in vain to break the other man's grip, but to no avail.

Milphey continued his drawling explanation. "…made…Zaha…not…dead." He gave up, and began to talk faster, gripping Gateau's jaw harder as he went. "Zaha's no longer dead, not-deceased-alive-and-kicking-however-you-put-it-we're-in-deep-shit. Got it _now_?"

The Knight eased up on Gateau's abused jaw, and the other man shoved the manicured fingers away roughly, with as much malice as he could muster. "_Alright_."

"Don't worry, darling, I'll protect you," cried Chocolate, grabbing Carrot's arm fiercely. For once, he was too startled to push her away.

Gateau, on the other hand, was massaging his chin and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What're you so damn chirpy about, you musclebound ass?" Carrot growled into Gateau's general direction, satisfactorily including the Haz Knight in his snarlings. He shoved Chocolate away from himself, rubbing his arm where her fingernails had drawn blood. Seeing Gateau's smirk broaden, he scowled fiercely. "Idiot! Hasn't it entered your pea-brain yet that we're going to _die_ here?!"

Gateau shrugged his massive shoulders. "No we're not, you stupid stork."

"Really? Well I think we'd all like to hear your grand plan for saving our collective asses. Do tell," Carrot bellowed unselfconsciously.

"We're not gonna die. We've got these two." He gestured to Marron and Milphey, who hung their heads in turn. "If I counted correctly, that's two full-blown semi-immortal Mages on our side with enough fire-power to blow this place to smithereens. And you think _I'm _the dumbass."

"You are," Carrot said absently, his characteristic grin creeping onto his face. "_Saved by the dumbass!_" He eyed his brother and Milphey thoughtfully. Neither of them looked happy or elated or even remotely comforted. "Marron? Ass-monkey?"

"_Darling!_" Chocolate snapped, slapping him hard. "Don't talk about Milphey like that. Whether he is or not, he came to help us."

Carrot rubbed his offended cheek and started to argue with her.

Gateau, on the other hand, in an unusually perceptive mood, noticed the look of horror on the younger Mage's face echoing the expression of the knight.

__

First things first, he thought smugly.

"…Marron? You okay?" he placed a hand on Marron's far shoulder, and sat down beside him, drawing the young man closer to his own chest. 

Marron had spent this short interchange staring at his hands as they wrung knots in his lap, his eyes unfocused, but now he found cause for action. Elbowing his captor ineffectively in the ribs, he stood up decisively, walked over to the crestfallen knight and dragged Milphey after him towards the stream they'd camped near.

"You guessed," Milphey said despondently, taking a seat on a fallen tree. "I should have expected as much."

Marron ran his pale fingers through his dark hair in startling contrast, and nodded. Without bothering to turn and face him, he finally asked Milphey the question he'd been dreading. "You have no magic. You're completely defenceless, completely mortal. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Sort of."

Marron cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm still not technically mortal. After all, I'm not really alive or even on my own plane of existence," the Knight mumbled. "You're all we've got left. You've always looked that way, but how does it feel to have the _real_ weight of the world on your shoulders?"

"You're not making this any easier," Marron snapped coldly.

Milphey held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, no need to get snappy." He sighed aloud, his brows drawn together in deep thought. "…I have a plan."

The expression of pain, guilt and all-round discomfort on his face completely contradicted the look of pure joy on the face of the young man who stood in front of him, lengths of ebony hair being tossed wildly by the wind, long, pale fingers clasped together at the ends of gold-capped white sleeves - the very picture of innocence to someone who didn't know him. The golden eyes bore into Milphey, the usually expressionless, shuttered windows into the heart of this contrary being alive with childish hope.

"It's a long shot, but I'll take you to meet someone. Someone almost as old as Big Mama herself, and nearly as powerful. There, you can learn to use your power more completely, and if you do, we can face Shallot with a fully-trained Mage instead of an apprentice."

"That's it? I get to die fully trained? Great. Terrific."

Milphey glared at him. "This could be just the sort of help we need, and I don't see anyone else coming up with a grand plan."

Marron grumbled an apology and sighed half-heartedly.

"There's something I want in return." Milphey's uncharacteristic request snapped him out of his musings. Marron lifted his head and looked curiously at the other man. "I…can you…" Milphey was blushing. This was certainly unusual. _But I suppose he's never had to really ask for anything, _Marron thought_. _He glanced down at Milphey's hands, which were tapping together and pulling away, like he was trying to create a viewing sphere as he struggled with words he wasn't comfortable giving air to.

Taking a seat on the log, Marron created one of his own, and Milphey looked at him with undying gratitude before staring steadfastly into it, glad he'd been understood in his awkwardness. In the wavering image, Tira sat in a chair, her head resting on a bed as she dozed. The door to the room opened, and Onion snuck in with a blanket. He straightened the sleeping healer up in her chair and draped the blanket around her shoulders before kneeling beside the bed. In it, Minda lay, looking pale and sick and small next to the giant of a man. Onion raised one great paw and brushed away a wisp of hair from her face, then stood up sadly and left. Milphey stroked the glowing orb of light, and hung his head. Marron let the sphere dissipate and left the other man to himself.

But Milphey's face didn't cloud with tears. He'd never allow himself such a selfish indulgence - tears didn't solve anything. Instead, his face was a mask of resolve, and he decided once and for all he'd do the unmentionable and ask for help from…_ugh. I can't even think about it. But I'll do it for you, child. I'll be civil and diplomatic and courtly and do it for the greater good Whether or not we'll get any help remains to be seen._


	3. Would I Lie to You?

Lady Amethyst's school of magic was a strange, extraordinary place - plush and decadent in one area and artistically bare in others, almost as complicated and as beautiful as the woman who ran it

Lady Amethyst's school of magic was a strange, extraordinary place - plush and decadent in one area and artistically bare in others, almost as complicated and as beautiful as the woman who ran it. Hidden away in a lush valley, sheltered from the outside world by a natural stone wall, the school was a place seldom heard about and even less frequently visited. Despite their isolation, the children who resided here for the school terms were blissfully happy, learning to use magic for good, in the Eastern way, to heal and protect.

Although wary of strangers, the students were delighted and curious in the way children are when five newcomers made their way up the narrow rocky path to the main building as the sun began to set.

"Thank the gods for that, we made it after all," Carrot grumbled. "And about time. I'm hungry and tired and…_hello…_" his eyes bugged out as a young teacher, arms laden with books and blonde hair hanging loose over white robes like Marron's scurried across the courtyard, probably to report their arrival.

Chocolate gave him a half-hearted thwack on the head, too tired to reprove him properly. She called ahead to Marron, who was picking his way gingerly down to a flight of elegant stairs. "Hate to say it, I mean, my darling thinking is dangerous in itself, but Carrot's got a point. Why'd you have to zap us so far away?"

"Forcefield," Gateau cut in before Marron could answer. "He said before there was a forcefield he couldn't teleport through, probably set up for security. Right?" he grinned cheesily at the black-haired figure ahead of him, who nodded assent.

"Oh," Chocolate pouted.

"I've gone far enough. I'll wait for you at the spot we teleported to," Milphey declared, turning sharply on his heel. "Good-luck-see-you-soon-goodbye!"

"What's with the ass-monkey?" Carrot wondered aloud, scratching his head. The crack brought him another healthy thwack from Chocolate, but he shrugged it off and jogged ahead to catch up with his brother.

"So, what do we do now?" Gateau asked the trees in general.

"I believe I can assist you in that matter. Do follow me, and I'll take you to meet with Lady Amethyst," a sweet voice cut in. It came from a girl of about sixteen, pretty-faced with silvery hair and gentle violet eyes. She wasn't particularly tall, and the modest clothing she wore denoted her status to be probably an assistant teacher or menial.

Marron sighed inwardly in relief, and began to introduce his companions.

"Don't worry, we know who you are. We were expecting you, Marron Glaces," the menial said quietly. "The rest of you, too. And Carrot?"

"How can I help you, sweet thing?"

"Please be mindful of your behaviour. This is a school, with children, not an orgy." Her strange eyes glimmered wickedly as he blushed uncontrollably.

She led them through the winding passageways of the ancient building with purpose, then stopped at a doorway leading to what seemed to be an office of sorts. Assistants of all descriptions smiled at the newcomers, except for an older woman sitting at a desk who scowled fiercely.

"Don't mind her, Anja's always in a bad mood. It makes her happy in some strange way, but she really has a heart of gold," the girl whispered confidentially. Pushing open two vaulted, ornately scrolled doors, she gestured for the group to enter a round, open room panelled on one side with glass that gave a clear view of the valley below in the oncoming twilight. A pond at the bottom of a small natural waterfall the room had been built around trickled water in a stream under glass tiles that ran across the floor in an elegant, meandering course. In the centre of the room, facing the glass wall, were a semicircle of plush couches and chairs, all either blue or purple. Even the paintings on the pure white walls were purplish, trimmed with silver frames that must have been rather costly. Marron absorbed all of this without looking particularly obvious, and the menial smiled at him.

"Take a seat. She'll be with you in a minute." With that, she bowed a little, turned on her heel and dashed out of the room.

The thunk of the door closing broke the magic spell of the tranquil room, and Carrot flopped thankfully down on one of the couches. Within a few second of sinking into the comfortable piece of furniture, he felt completely at home and slouched gracelessly further down, his chin resting on his chest. Marron eyed him disdainfully from an armchair across the semicircle from him, and wasn't too surprised when Carrot declared after a few minutes:

"Okay, sleeping here. Never moving again. Too tired. Don't care any more."

"I rather hope you don't. We've readied quarters for all of you and my office is hardly a suitable place for sleep. I've tried it before - it's not as comfortable as it appears to be."

The menial re-entered the room, appearing to have changed her clothes to a dust-free version of what she'd been wearing originally. The silver hair was restrained neatly in a low ponytail and fell smoothly down her back as she took a seat on the rail in front of the glass wall.

"Isn't she coming, then?" Gateau asked, trying to mask his disappointment.

"Isn't who coming?" the menial said politely, trying not to offend her guests.

"Lady Amethyst."

"_I'm_ Lady Amethyst," the menial replied, and her face fell in confusion when Gateau fainted dead away.

Gateau's head buzzed with stars. _Jeez, what a weird dream. We were hiking down a gorge and got met by this strange looking girl who said she was one of the most powerful beings that exist, and…_

"That's enough, wake up," an unfamiliar voice quipped. Something was slapping his face. 

"Go 'way," he groaned, batting the hand off as he opened his eyes reluctantly. The girl with the funny hair and eyes was leaning over him, threatening him with a glass of water. _Rise and shine, Gateau, gods only know why you passed out. How sissy…_he looked around, gauging his surroundings and company. _And in front of Marron, too…damn, this day sucks. _He hauled himself to a sitting position and waited for her to speak.

"What in hell is going on here?" he grumbled.

"You came to me, therefore the onus of explanation is on you, my friend," the Amethyst wannabe said lightly.

"You? We didn't come to you. We came to Am-" Marron whispered a few words under his breath and Gateau lost his voice.

Amethyst flashed those strange eyes and his voice came back. If it was physically possible, Marron paled. "Now dear, I'd like you to be perfectly aware of the fact that I _am_ Amethyst. Do not be deceived by my appearance."

"You?!" Gateau spluttered. "But you're just a kid! You're younger than…than Marron even!"

Amethyst raised one silver eyebrow. "Incorrect. But my age is not the issue here. I know what has happened at the Stellar Church, that the Haz Knights are gone, and that their fool of a pink-haired leader sent you to me for help." She turned to Marron and eyed him critically. "You have been ascended for less than a season, haven't you? You came to me to increase your power."

Mind a total blank of anything else to say, Marron nodded.

"I'm afraid you'll be sadly disappointed. You're already as powerful as you'll ever get, and I'm not going to teach you anything."

The faces of the Sorcerer Hunters fell in shock and disappointment.

"I'm…I'm sorry then. We'll be leaving now, I guess," Marron stammered.

"Why on earth would you be doing that? You're here to learn, aren't you?" Amethyst quipped.

"But…but you said…"

"I'll explain it in the morning. You're tired. Sleep." She waved a hand minutely, and one by one, each fell asleep.

A sleek grey cat glided in the partially open door, and rubbed itself against Amethyst's ankles. She picked it up, petting the silky ears as she teleported each Hunter to their respective quarters.

"You know what, Kurenka?" the cat mewed and stared at her with golden eyes. "This could be a lot harder than I imagined. But first things first." The cat leapt for a chair as Amethyst disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Milphey woke with a start, overcome with a gut feeling that something was terribly wrong. An all-too familiar figure stood across the small glade he'd stopped in, glowering at him over crossed arms.

"Why me?" she snarled. "Why, out of all the Mages on Earth, did you have to send him to me, after I warned you to keep the hell away?!"

Milphey rubbed the sleep from his eyes and cowered a little. "You know there was no-one else, Amethyst. I had no choice."

"There are always choices, you fool." She paused mid-rant, and eyed him critically. "You're not of this plane any more. You're dead, aren't you?"

"Yes, if you must know, I am."

She smirked, an unpleasant contortion of her pretty face. "Couldn't have happened to a more deserving person."

That was enough. The unhappy knight stood up in righteous outrage, towering over the slip of a girl, face a mask of anger. "Do you really think sniping at me is going to help matters?! You're too concerned with yourself to even consider going after Shallot, and that kid is all we have! For once in your life, do something decent!"

"_Me _do something decent?! _You're _the one who let all I had left of Opal die!"

Anyone who had stumbled across the scene in the glade would almost have laughed out loud. It seemed as though a girl and a rather effeminate man were having a screaming row, but what was surprising was that the girl was obviously winning. Until this remark, that is.

"Opal didn't belong to _you_! And Minda's _not_ dead. She's just nearly dead, and if you don't do something about it, we'll lose her for good, too," he snapped hotly.

Amethyst lost her will to argue at this point. "But…I felt her life-force flicker. And you know as well as I do what happens when the life-force flickers."

Milphey grabbed her small hands and looked intently at her, begging her with his eyes to trust him. "Please, Amethyst. For once, trust me. I know how much you loved your sister. I loved her too. And I know you hate me for letting her die, I hate _myself_. But all we have left of her is dying, and she needs you. Please believe me."

She pulled her hands away, folded her arms again, and drew her brows together in determination. "Where is she?"

A loud thumping on the kitchen door woke Onion up from his restless doze. _Who the hell would be here at this hour?_ Without bothering to get dressed, he stumbled down the stairs in his pyjama pants, ready to beat the hell out of whoever had the gall to wake him up. He pulled the door open and nearly fell over backwards when the dead Haz Knight and a girl of about sixteen with silver hair barged right in.

"Where's Minda?" the girl demanded.

"Who the hell are _you_?! And -" he eyed Milphey suspiciously. " - You're dead!"

"You got it," Milphey said cheerily. "It's a story for another time and place, but for now, where's my daughter?"

"Upstairs, second door on the right. But she's really -"

"I know, sick. But she's not sick, she's poisoned and dying, and she _will_ die if I don't hurry." The unfamiliar girl took the stairs three at a time, and Milphey shrugged and ran after her. Out of sheer morbid curiosity, Onion followed them.


	4. Angel's Breath, Devil's Song

Amethyst stroked the pink-haired girl's brow, much as a mother would a child, despite the fact that even in her illness Minda was obviously older

Amethyst stroked the pink-haired girl's brow, much as a mother would a child, despite the fact that even in her illness Minda was obviously older.

"Come on, wake up. I'm going to make you better, but you need to be awake for it to work."

Minda struggled with her eyelids and eventually wrestled them open. Through her fuzzy vision, she uttered a word that broke Milphey's heart. "…Mother?"

"No, not your mother. I'm Amethyst. Your father is here, too," she added kindly.

"What's going on in he-" Tira's cry of worry was muffled by Onion's hand.

Amethyst's hands began to glow, much as Marron's had the first time he'd tried to heal Minda to no avail. The sheer volume of power she generated astonished even Milphey. He knew she was more powerful than her sister had been, but this was unbelievable… and then Minda sat up. She shook her head and looked around warily.

"Where am I? Oh, never mind, I remember," she chirruped. Her golden eyes fell on Milphey, who'd taken up a position in the corner. "Daddy? But you're… you're…"

Milphey sighed. "Dead. Yes, I noticed that one myself." Then he rushed across the small room and lifted her off her feet in an affectionate embrace. "I was worried you'd be joining me,"

When he let her go, Minda dropped the half-foot to the floor and turned to the girl who'd healed her.

"Thankyou…Amethyst, did you say? You look so much like my mother."

Amethyst nodded. "Your mother was my little sister. I felt I owed her to heal you."

"Balderdash! You just did something nice without a reason, and you're incapable of dealing with it!" Milphey laughed. He stopped immediately when he caught the poisonous glare Amethyst sent his way. "Sorry. I take that back. You're a cold-hearted bitch." She scowled harder and he felt the oddest constriction, as if someone was choking him with invisible hands… "…Okay! I take it all back! You're not incapable and not a bitch! Just let me go!" he squeaked.

Amethyst shrugged her shoulders and released her hold on his neck.

__

[Bitch,] Milphey thought to himself, rubbing his sore throat.

__

[I heard that,] Amethyst's mental voice cut in.

__

[Kidding!]

"Am I interrupting something?" Minda said quietly, trying to break up the scowling match taking place between her father and newfound child-size aunt.

"Of course not," Amethyst took hold of her hand and gestured for Tira to take the other. "Now you're all better, we can take you back to your friends. Hold onto your father or he'll be left behind."

"Whoa, someone's going to have to explain _this _to me with puppets pretty soon," Tira grumbled in confusion.

"It's simple," Amethyst smiled. "Milphey struck a deal with Enma to come back from the dead for a fortnight so he could help your friends defeat Shallot, who has been resurrected and is behind the kidnapping of Big Mama and the destruction of the Stellar Church. Only problem is, magic is a force of life, so he's pretty much useless in that department. As a result, he sent Carrot, Marron, Gateau and Chocolate to me for help, which was probably a dangerous thing to do. If he'd been with them I would have killed him on sight. I had every intention of doing so but then he told me about Minda still being alive, so I came to reverse the magic that did the harm and heal her. That's pretty much it."

Tira still looked confused. "And you are?…"

"I am Lady Amethyst," Amethyst said matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything. "And we had best go before your friends wake up."

"If you could reverse the magic used to hurt Minda, you must be very powerful," Tira half-said, half-asked.

"I suppose so. But it's neither the time nor the place to discuss such things." And with no further ado, she teleported the group away the way she'd arrived.

i 

Deep in the Western Mountains…

Something warm was running down Dota's arm, but the sensation was far from pleasant. _How long have I been asleep? _She clenched her fist, and found she was definitely not in her bed. The surface her fingertips brushed against was cold, moist, and hard as stone. Hard as stone? What was going on? _Where am I?…Momma! Milphey! Anyone…? Is anyone there? Why won't anybody help me?_

A new warmth, as tears began to stream down her face. Forcing her dark eyes open, Dota attempted to flex her wings, and yelped in pain. She circled on herself as fully as she could, and burst into tears when she saw her blood-soaked feathers. Cradling the damaged appendages as best she could, the distraught cherub struggled clumsily to her feet, and eyed her surroundings. _This looks like a dungeon. Why would I be in a dungeon? _She spied a long, purple pile positioned in the wan light creeping from what was more a ventilation slit than a window. Pain forgotten, Dota cried out in alarm.

"Mama! Mama, wake up!" Dota shook the tall woman's shoulders gently, but she didn't respond. "Mama, what's wrong with you? Please wake up…"

From his gaudily decorated quarters upstairs, Zaha Torte watched this display through a viewing crystal with some amusement. _Really, that ridiculous cherub is far from the brightest crayon in the box. _

A hesitant knock on the doorframe. "What?"

The nervous servant slunk in the room like a hunted animal, and cowered at the furthest possible distance from Zaha himself. This action itself was enough to break Zaha's bad mood at being disturbed, and he eyed the short, balding man who was perspiring profusely in terror with feigned boredom. "Well? Are you going to tell me why you're in here, or do you want to be stuffed and mounted like that trophy you're dripping sweat all over?"

If it was possible, the servant paled and managed to look even more frightened than he had before. "L-lord Z-Zaha, P-P-Prince T-T-Tangin w-wants you to dine-with-him-and-the-others-tonight-sir." The terrified man cringed and flinched away, certain he was about to be summarily beheaded.

But instead of killing the distraught creature, Zaha laughed - a cold, humourless bark that almost made the servant cry out. "Very well. I will join them - they _did_ bring me back, after all." He tapped his fingers together as he thought. "What is your name, man?"

The frightened servant had been edging towards the door - only a few feet away from where he actually stood, but it seemed miles away the instant the former leader of the Haz Knights had asked for his name. "T-Tiw, my lord and master,"

Zaha arched one eyebrow, and almost smiled. "Very well Tiw, you've managed to break me out of a bad mood. You're quite amusing, did you know that?"

With eyes almost as big as saucers, Tiw managed to look something other than frightened for a split second. "I am, sir?" he ventured, startled and confused. His colleagues had told him that this man was incredibly dangerous, and being sent to give him a message of any sort was undoubtedly a suicide mission.

"Yes. Now go. You could be useful…" the servant scurried off, and irritated at being cut off, Zaha sent a blast of energy after him. Craning his neck to view his handiwork, the Mage finished his sentence. "…If it snows and we need something to grit the path with."

He turned his attention back to the viewing crystal. Dota had given up shaking Big Mama and had fallen asleep, sobbing, bleeding and huddled against the unconscious woman. _They weren't supposed to hurt the little fool,_ he thought angrily. _Someone will pay for that disobedience. _As he stroked the crystal, making the image in it fade, he muttered to himself, "Stupid woman. You should have known better than to oppose me. The dead never rest easily with so much undone, and soon there will be nothing left of you to fight."


	5. Marron grows...an ATTITUDE?

Author's Note: Hey all! No, I'm not dead, just lazy. Here's another installation for anyone who still cares ^o^; and I promise to update more frequently. You do believe me, …don't you?

i 

Chocolate awoke to the feeling of someone shaking her. _Ah, maybe it's Carrot, come to his senses. Wait a second… **where the hell am I?!** _She sat bolt upright, hand instinctively reaching for her wire, only to find it wasn't there. Her eyes flew wide, and Tira released her shoulders.

"Lord, Chocolate, you sleep like the dead."

She yawned widely. "How on earth did you get here?"

Tira shrugged. "Strange girl -"

"-with silver hair," Chocolate finished. "Amethyst. And where, may I ask, did my wire go?"

"I'm sorry about that, but I don't permit weapons in this establishment. Violence only breeds violence, and I won't have it," Amethyst supplied from the doorway. "You may have your weapon back when you leave, just as Carrot will get his sword and Marron his dagger. Is that fair enough?"

Chocolate nodded mutely. "D-dagger? _Marron_? No way!"

"I assure you that I removed a dagger from his sleeve when I sent him to sleep in the same way that I took your wire. Now, come with me, or you'll miss breakfast." She led off purposefully, nodding greetings to everyone she passed, and opened the door to what was obviously the main dining hall. Inside, almost a hundred children ranging in age from about six to fifteen-or-so were busy devouring breakfast, and barely noticed their entry.

"Over there," Amethyst gestured to a table where Marron, Carrot, Gateau, Milphey and Minda sat, accompanied by a few curious children. "I'll be back before you leave, don't worry."

"Lady Amethyst? I'll take care of them until you get back, if you like," a boy of about fourteen chirped as she passed his table. Amethyst smiled broadly.

"Thankyou, Tamal. That would be wonderful."

He brushed his floppy brown hair out of his eyes and ushered Chocolate and Tira to their friends' table.

"Morning!" Gateau called brightly. "Oversleep, did we?"

"Don't make me put on my hat," Chocolate grumbled, searching for a coffee cup.

"Wouldn't matter if you did, you've got nothing to hurt him with," Minda chirruped. She received a death glare from the older Misu sister.

"Minda, can it. You're worse than your fa…_when the hell did you two get here?!_"

The other girl just tapped her nose and turned back to the conversation she'd engaged her father and Marron in.

Just as the last of the students stood up to file out the door, Amethyst came back. "Are you done here? I think it's time we got down to business. Carrot, Chocolate, Tira and Gateau, I've organised a small tour for you. I'm sure it won't be terribly interesting, but after you learn your way around, you can sit in on a few classes. Even if you have no talent for magic whatsoever, the students are always looking for new people to impress. Minda, Marron, Milphey, you come with me."

"Me?" Milphey whined. "Why me? You said yourself I was useless."

"You are," Amethyst quipped a little too quickly for comfort. "But on the other hand, you're also experienced. And I don't trust you as far as I could kick you not to molest the teachers here, so you're along for the ride."

"Oh. It's nice to know I'm trusted," he grunted, obviously offended.

Amethyst's expression darkened and she glared fiercely at him. "Don't think for an instant that anything between us has changed. I neither like nor trust you, and you'd do better to remember that."

From her seat on a low-hanging tree branch in the front courtyard, Amethyst appraised Marron critically. "You're quite impressive, Marron. Your progression far outstrips my own achievements when I was your age. As far as raw power goes, you may even be stronger than me," she added with a delicate tilt of her head.

"What about me?" Minda interrupted cattily.

Amethyst eyed her the way she had done Marron. "I can't tell. You're still not back at full strength yet. Be patient, the hurt inflicted on you was great," she soothed.

Marron's brows were drawn together in fierce concentration.

"So," he began hesitantly, "If I were to face you in a battle of magic, I'd win?"

Fingering a strand of moonlit hair, she considered this carefully. "Maybe. Hypothetically, you should win. But I don't believe it would happen."

"Then…if there's a chance…would you be willing to pit yourself against me? Right now?"

"Marron, that's not-" Milphey started, but Amethyst hushed him and Minda clamped a hand over his mouth.

Amethyst dropped gracefully from her perch, and stroked his pale face gently. "You're so young, and I don't want to hurt you…treasure your youth, and come to me when you are in control of your power. Pit yourself against me on equal terms. Not like this, with so much left undone," she murmured cryptically.

In a rare display of near-violence, Marron batted her hand away as fiercely as he had Gateau's that fateful morning at the Stellar Church. "You just said I had more power than you, so stop treating me like a child! I'm _not_ a child, and I'm _not_ weak and I don't need this type of protection. Face me, Lady of the Air, or I'll leave this instant," he demanded, sealing the challenge with the mention of her full title.

"…Very well, I accept your challenge. But be aware that this foolishness will see you injured, at the very least."

"I don't care."

"Marron!" Milphey blurted, "She'll kill you!"

"Hush, papa," Minda soothed. "I don't think she will. And besides, I want to see where this is going."

"Would you mind greatly if this became a whole-school affair? Challengers don't arise often, let alone ones of your calibre," Amethyst called out as she walked towards her chambers.

"Fine," Marron called back.

"Alright then. The practice gardens, in half an hour. I'll call the infirmary," she laughed, and walked away, leaving Marron to his thoughts. Scrambling desperately for an eloquent sounding exit line, Milphey managed a strangled yelp, and took off at top speed in Amethyst's direction.

Just as she'd said it would be, Marron's challenge _did _become a whole-school affair, with everyone from the students, white-robed teachers and even the menial staff appearing out of nowhere to watch for themselves the match of power between the Lady of Air and the stranger who'd only come to them the day before. Rumour had spread like wildfire among them that this newcomer's power was even greater than Amethyst's, but this was uncertain, given the fact that Amethyst herself was a rather unknown quantity.

On one side of the open glade sheltered by the rocky cliffs that formed the valley walls, Marron stood resolutely, face set in determination, surrounded by the nervous huddle of his friends. There was nothing they could do except wait in the deafening silence.

Inside the deserted buildings, however, it was not so quiet…

"For the seven-hundredth time, Milphey, I'm not going to kill the boy!" Amethyst shoved past the distressed knight as he blocked her path again in the hallway.

"Then call this ridiculous contest off!" he pleaded.

"No." coldly, and deeply serious. "I won't do that. He needs too see how much he can improve, and he won't see it unless I rough him up a bit. And since when do I explain myself to _you_? Now get out of my way before I send you back to Enma early."

"But-" She held up one delicate hand, and a ball of energy began to pulse on the tip of each finger.

Milphey got out of her way.


End file.
